Travel is something that is glorified and glamorized by society. Travelling means something different for different people in the world. To travel is about freedom , it may be a kind of hobby for some people or may be a daily schedule for some others. Travelling is a kind of fun and it can be most memorable life experiences. But, what if one cannot afford?

No problem, some organizations, they exists having the sole purpose of of funding travel. You just need to present a clear plan that your trip is worthwhile.

The easiest way to afford travel is to have some kind of trust fund or rich parents… but what about us regular folks? Well, then it gets a little tougher. The key, unsurprisingly, is finding smart ways to budget your money and cut back on spending.

Most people we know include travel high on their priority list each year, as they want to get away from life’s routines and create precious memories. Some people honestly think we are millionaires being able to travel as much as we do, if only. But it’s mostly been about making smart choices, having different priorities, and using certain strategies to save money as we go.

One can also use his investment account for travel fund. It is like an emergency fund. Because, at any point , we could suffer from an emergency. A taxable investment account allows you to grow your fund at a faster rate.

For travel deals and for general travels, one should keep a dedicated travel fund and deposit money into it twice a month. You not need to pay for it from your personal account. A travel fund keeps one in check. Like, if you don’t have money in your account, You won’t book it, Simple.

Below are some tips to begin funding a trip:

Research your spending habits-

As you look through your expenses, mark down all the little extra things you spend your money on. You might be surprised how quickly it adds up.

Get in the travel saving mindset-

This step is all about getting yourself motivated and excited to travel — which makes saving easier. For example- Before you make any purchase, just think about all the cool places you could go or see with that money.

Start trimming the expenses –

Housing is usually people’s highest expense, so if you want to save money, lowering your rent is the fastest way to free up a large chunk of change. Even lowering your rent $100/month adds up quickly. If you’re really committed to saving, you might consider moving back in with your parents (if you can stand it…). Six months living rent-free will probably save you enough to travel for a few months.

Get the best interest rate- Do some research to find a good interest bearing savings account. Also, you should never have to pay monthly fees to have an account since many banks offer free checking and saving.

Open up a dedicated savings account-

Okay, so make sure you do not face any minimum balance penalties once you start using this account and spending down the money you’ve saved. It’s also useful to have ATM and online access to this account so you can withdraw and transfers funds. Having a fixed account for your travel won’t make you suffer any balance problems.

Automatic transfers-

Once you have your dedicated account set up, it’s time to fill it up. Set up an automatic transfer at regular intervals. This is like very easy and be sure to maintain it.

Clean your account every month-

If you have any funds left over after paying all of your bills, living expenses & funding your savings accounts, try clearing part or all of your remaining funds and transferring them to your travel fund.

Let someone else do it for you-

If you are not having enough balance to deposit then in that case you can take help from various other funding organizations . Or , you can borrow money from banks also as they provide funding for such means as well.

Do a true budget-

This includes food, lower energy bills, weeknight movies, Netflix or on-demand rentals, suspended newspaper delivery, etc. This will give you a much more honest cash-flow analysis of how much your trip is going to cost you. In the end, for plus and minus, you will have a better sense of what the trip actually costs.

Travel grants-

If you are travelling for professional, educational or research purposes, you may qualify for any number of travel grants available to qualified individuals. In most cases travel grants do not fund entire trips but will rather offset some of your expenses—so while you won’t get a free trip, it can be considerable money in your pocket nonetheless.

Get everyone saving-

If your kids get allowances, or if you give them a weekly spending budget, they should help save for the trip as well, whether in cash from their allowance or chits from their spending limits. Let them know specifically what they need to save for—you’ll pay for airplanes, hotel rooms, meals, park admission and the like, and perhaps they’ll pay for souvenirs and non-mealtime desserts.

Take advantage of bundled deals-

Optimize your expenses by finding ways to bundle items. Booking a hotel? Try to look for one that offers free transfers and breakfast at a rate that’s competitive.

Travel insurance? Why pay for travel insurance when you can get it for free when you book your airplane tickets with select BPI Credit Cards.

You’ll find that several of these deals are there to be found, if you look hard enough. Check membership cards or organizations that you’re already part of — many have partnerships that provide free passes to museums and other sites at your destination.

Reduce unnecessary spending-

Consult your spending diary that you’ve hopefully been using. How many of those daily entries were things you actually NEEDED? Will your life end without them?Once you’re finished, look at the WANTS column – and write down how much they cost, next to each item. Now total them up. That’s how much you can instantly start saving every month if you cut all these out.

Why to save money for travel fund?

Travelling seems to be a huge expense for oneself. It seems to be a big thing making the difference between saving money and living paycheck.

It seems pretty much impossible to travel and save money unless you are making a LOT of money and living fairly cheap otherwise.

It really depends on you and your values. I have friends who love cars, fashion, food, x, y, and z and that's their hobby. Travel is one of my hobbies so I give up on other things to make it work. I have cut back on clothes shopping, dining out, etc. I try my best to only spend on needs, occasional wants and the rest, I save.

One need to save money for travel fund because travelling is really going to be tough. It actually depends on your income though.

If you have a good credit score, there is a saturation of travel credit cards that can really subsidize the costs of travelling.

It's important to not neglect your financial stability. Obviously that takes priority over travelling and budgeting for travel is important. But it's also important to remember that travelling is easiest when one is young.

The twenties are the best time in your life to travel - no obligations and good health, so I would make it a priority right after covering the basics like emergency fund, paying down student loans.

People have fun in different ways. If you enjoy travelling, budget for it after your savings and travel some. If you enjoy travelling only a little, budget less for it and travel less. At the end of the day, if you are saving reasonably well, spending some money for "fun" is important. If you are in debt and not saving well, then spending money on fun today is not a good idea and you should go with very cheap entertainment options (like local travel) till you are in a better financial situation.

There are several apps that helps you save money for your trip-

Hopper- You can save some serious cash on airfare with this app. By predicting the future price of flights and telling you the best time to purchase your tickets, Hopper can save you up to 40% on airline tickets.

Hitlist- Make a list of your upcoming vacation destinations, or places you want to go in the future, and Hitlist will send you great deals as they come up. Travelling with a group? You can use this app to invite your friends and plan a trip together.

TripAdvisor- Read reviews from travellers all around the world to find the best places to eat and fun things to do when you’re on vacation. Bonus: You can use it to compare hotel prices, book flights and make restaurant reservations.

Triposo. Need a virtual travel guide? Tell this app where you are going, what you like to do, and how much you have to spend, and it will help you create a trip itinerary. It even takes weather and various attractions into consideration. Score!

EveryDollar. Whether you need to save up for a few months or track spending once you reach your destination

GasBuddy. Gas prices tend to rise during the summer, but this app can help you keep road-trip costs down. GasBuddy helps you find the best price on fuel and even offers a calculator so you can figure out the exact cost of your trip.